PSYCHO KILLER

Psycho Killer is one of the most famous songs written by one of the most important bands ever. The song has a particular story and cryptic lyrics that deserve an explanation. The artists had a clear idea in their minds as they wrote this piece: they wanted to represent the stunned thoughts of a killer with multiple personalities. The first lines of Psycho Killer’s lyrics describe the feeling of confusion of the killer, someone can’t sleep, is always thinking about what he did and probably overcome with guilt. The protagonist seems incapable of facing reality and has an aversion to any contact with other people. The use of the French language in the chorus and bridge is intended to represent one of the many personalities of the killer, the one who seems not to want to stop killing. 

This is the real meaning of the text of Psycho Killer: a sick representation of the confused thoughts of a psychotic person who has already killed and probably will not stop. 

"Psycho Killer 

What are you doing? 

Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better 

Run, run, run, run, run, run, run" 

ALL THE MADMEN

All The Madmen is a song inspired by David Bowie’s step-brother, Terry Burns, who suffered from severe mental health issues. At the time Bowie wrote the song, his brother was in a mental hospital is Cane Hill because of severe schizophrenia. After many years, the doctors had allowed Terry Burns to leave, but he decided to stay in the asylum, because the real world was too cold and hard for him. 

The author of the song admitted that his brother was sometimes willing to pretend to be crazy to stay there. The members of his family had no doubt that Terry was not completely crazy, but they respected his choice to remain at the asylum, to the point that David Bowie’s halfbrother, after years of isolation in the hospital, became truly crazy. The story of Terry Burns ended in 1985 when he managed to escape from the hospital and decided to take his own life. 

"Because I’d stay here 

With all the madmen 

Than perish with the sadmen roaming free 

And I’d play here 

With all the madmen 

For I’m quite content they’re all as sane as me"